Fence-wire coupling



(No Model.) v I N. H. FULLER & H. S. HAL'LOGK. FENCE WIRE COUPLING.

No. 311,480. Patented Feb. 3, 1885 ma/b GQY Ly V &

stripe ra'rhs 'AlhNli price.

NASON H. FULLER AND HENRY S. HALLOOK, OF lWIENLO, IOWA.

FENCE WlRE COUPLENG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311A80, dated February3, 1885.

Application filed April 28, 1884.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, NASON H. FULLER and HENRY S. HALLOOK, of Menlo, inthe county of Guthrie and State of Iowa, have invented a Fence-W'ireCoupling, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to the manner of constructing a device fordetachably connecting the ends of fence-wires between two posts, so thatthe panel can be opened at pleasure to produce apassageway through thefence for persons, animals, and Vehicles.

Heretofore a metal lever, having a double elbow at its central portion,a rack at one end, and a hook at its opposite end, has been pivoted to afence-wire by means of a loop or link attached at its central bentportion for the purpose of coupling and regulating the tension of afence-wire. To avoid the labor and cost of casting a lever of such formin a mold, or of shapingit by forging, wedispense with the rack at theend and the double elbow in the central portion, and form a deviceadapted for the purpose contemplated by simply bending a straight rod toproduce a lever having an eye at one end and a hook at the other and ahook at its central portion, and combine it with two links and the twoends of a wire -fence rail, as hereinafter fully set forth.

Figure l of our accompanying drawings is an enlarged view of our device.Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing it in practical use. Together thesefigures clearly illustrate the construction, application, operation, andutility of our complete invention.

A is a metal rod, preferablyof round iron, bent double at one end andwelded together where it overlaps.

B is an eye formed at the double end, and G a hook at some distance fromthe eye.

D is a hook formed on the end opposite from the eye to extend laterally,as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

No. 1 is an elongated metal link fixed in the eye B and to the end of awire. No. 2 is a corresponding link fixed to the other end of thewire-fence rail that is to be connected and disconnected at pleasurewith the hook C of (No model.)

the lever A, as required, to speedily open and close a gateway in a wirefence.

To connect the two ends of a wire-fence rail that is severed between twoposts to which it is fixed by means of our coupling device applied asshown and described, we simply lift both ends to the point of elevationat which they are fixed to the posts, and then turn the rod or lever Ain the link No. 1 toward the link No. 2, and slip that link upon thehook G, and then turn the lever in a reverse way down upon thefence-wire, so that the links Nos. 1 and 2 will overlap each other andthe lever lie fiat upon the wire, after the wire has been inserted inthe hook D at its end, clearly shown in Fig. 2.

To disconnect the wires, we simply press the hooks D from the wires, andturn thelevers in the links No. 1 to relax the tension of the rails, andthen slip the-links No. 2 from the hooks O.

The ilexible connection of the links with the ends of the wires andthelever greatly facilitates the operation of coupling and uncoupling.

By dispensing with the rack. on the end of the lever for regulating thetension of the wire and connecting the lever with the wires by means ofinterveninglinks,in place ofloops on the ends of the wires, there willbe less strain and wear on the wire. The links that come in contact withthe lever as it is operated are subjected to much of the friction andwear, are heavier than the wire, and capable of en'- during more wearand strain than the wire,as required to preserve the complete couplingand rail.

Vv e claim as our invention- The improved fence-wire coupling,consisting of a metal rod, A, bent double at one end to produce a hook,C, and an eye, B, in which a link is inelosed, and bent at its oppositeend to produce a laterally-extending hook, D, substantially as shown anddescribed.

NASON H. FULLER. HENRY S. HALLOOK. it-n esses:

JACOB DIETRICI-I, E. B. NEWTON.

